Hassocks



V. K. BASS July 30, 1 963 HASSOCKS Filed June 2. 1961 FIG. I

INVENTOR l KENNETH ASS United States Patent 3,09,231 HASSOCKS Vincent Kenneth Bass, Richmond, Va, assignor to B. T. Crump Company, Inc., Richmond, Va., a corporation of Virginia Filed June 2, 1961, Ser. No. 114,398 Claims. (Cl. 108-9) This invention relates to improvements in hassocks, and more particularly in a hassock of a type having an inclinable top adapting it, when properly positioned adjacent the front of a chair, for use as an adjustable leg rest or recliner serving to support the feet and legs of the chair occupant in a relaxed position.

Stated broadly, the present invention aims to provide an inclinable-top hassock so constructed and arranged as to provide not only a general purpose attractive hassock, but also an effective leg rest when used in association with a chair such as a so-called easy chair.

More particularly, it is an important object of the invention to provide an inclinable-top hassock for use as a leg rest or recliner of the utmost simplicity and operability for adjusting the inclination of the top with respect to the supporting structure or base of the hassock.

In line with the last stated objective, it is a further object of the invention to provide means for adjusting the inclination of the inclinable top of a leg rest or recliner type of hassock, which employs the minimum of hardware yet is effective, easily operated, and thoroughly dependable in use.

The above and other objects and features of advantage of an inclinable top hassock for use as a leg rest or recliner according to my present invention will appear from the following detailed description thereof, taken with the accompanying illustrative drawing, in which- FIG. 1 is a side elevation, FIG. 2 a front elevation, and FIG. 3 a perspective View of such a hassock, with the inclinable-top positions being indicated in broken lines.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, an adjustable leg-recliner type of hassock as herein contemplated comprises a supporting leg structure generally designated S and an inclinable top T supported thereon. Preferably and as illustrated, the supporting leg structure S comprises two side frame units, each in turn comprising a front and rear pair of vertical legs and a front-to-rear connecting rung, and said frame units are connected in spaced parallel relation by front and rear cross rungs. In the various views, the front and rear vertical legs of the pairs thereof are designated a, 12a and 10b, 12b; the front-to-rear side rings are designated 14a, 14b; and the front and rear cross rungs are designated 16a, 16]). It will be observed here that the aforesaid rungs extend between the legs which they interconnect at approximately the mid-points thereof and accordingly the upper ends of the four legs project upwardly beyond the rungs as upright supporting posts.

Said upper ends of the supporting legs are squared off in the same horizontal plane to provide coplanar corner points of support for the aforesaid top T, and preferably the latter is hingedly connected to its supporting leg structure by spaced hinges 18 (only one being shown) afiixed respectively to the upper end portions of the corresponding legs 10a, 10b of the supporting side frames and the under face of the top T, which legs will be hereinafter referred to as the front legs. There being no permanent connection between the top T and the corresponding other or rear legs 12a, 12b, said top may be inclined upwardly from its normal horizontal position (in which it is shown in full lines) by upward movement thereof about the axis of the hinges 18 which connects it to the supporting leg structure.

It is contemplated that manually releasable clasp means serving normally to hold the top T in horizontal position to said leg structure will be provided. Such makes for the hassock as a whole being readily movable by grasping the top T, which would not be the case if the top were permitted unrestrained pivoting movement with respect to the supporting leg structure.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the top T may have substantially square configuration and it is preferably constituted by a rigid frame which is suitably upholstered and covered, the covering being of leather or plastic material, for example.

According to my invention, the top T is adapted to be supported in various positions of inclination with respect to the supporting leg structure S by prop means which requires the minimum of hardware and in fact utilizes said supporting leg structure itself as a component thereof. More particularly, said prop means comprises a prop 20 of modified elongated U configuration preferably made from rigid rod stock. As seen in FIG. 2, the cross part 29a of the prop which extends transversely across the top is journaled for rotary rocking movement in attaching brackets 22a, 22b afiixed to the under side of said top and its side arms 20b, 20c depend downwardly therefrom in planes disposed inwardly of the side frame units of the supporting leg structure, as is also seen in FIG. 2. Said side arms 20b, 20c terminate in outwardly offset ends 2041',

202 which intersect the plane of said side frame units and extend a small distance outwardly thereof. The length of said side arms is greater than the vertical distance between the upper edges of the aforesaid side (front to rear) rungs 14a, 14b of said frame units and the under face of the top T, and this feature, taken with the location of the prop cross part 2011 near the front edge of the top T, results in the prop side arms 20b, 29c being downwardlyforwardly inclined and in their offset ends 20d, 202 normally resting on the upper edges of the side rungs 14a, 14b. That is to say, when the top T is in its normal lowered, horizontal position, the prop is swung by engagement of its offset ends with the upper edges of the side rungs to a normal inactive position in which said offset ends are in their most forward position and the prop is inclined by an angle of approximately 30 to the horizontal. However, as is best seen in FIG. 1, the length of the prop side arms and placement of the prop as a whole are such that when the rearward end of the top T is raised sufficiently, the prop can be manually swung rearwardly through and past the vertical plane until its offset ends move into the corners a and a already formed between the upper edges of the side rungs 14a, 14b and the inner (forward) vertical or substantially vertical edges of the rear legs 12a, 12b of the supporting leg structure. When so cornered, the offset prop ends 20d, 20c are effectively locked in position by the weight of the top T effective thereon and, since the prop side arms are now substantially vertical, the top T is held in a raised inclined position designated T in FIG. 1.

To hold the top- T in a position T of even greater elevation than that just described, it is a further feature of the invention that an additional higher-level corner-forming means for holding the prop in its active position as aforesaid but at an appreciably high level is provided. Referring particularly to FIG. 1, such is provided by forming corresponding steps 24a, 24b in the inner (forward) side edges of the rear legs 12a, 121; at a substantially higher elevation than that of the upper edge of the side rungs 14a, 14b. Such steps thus define corners b b similar to but located at an appreciably higher elevation than the aforesaid corners a a for receiving the offset ends of the prop arms when the top T is raised sufficiently to receive said ends. It Will of course be understood that since the prop 20 hangs freely from the top T when the latter is raised, the offset ends 20d, we of the prop must be manually moved rearwardly into the corners a a or b 12 depending on the particular adjustment of the top T that is desired. This insures that the user shall have substantially complete control of the inclination to which said top is set, which is a feature of advantage as compared to known leg-recliner adjusting means depending on unreliable gravity bias acting on the prop means. To facilitate manual actuation of the prop 20 to and from its active positions as aforesaid, said offset ends 20d, 20: preferably mount hand knobs 26a, 26b of a design and color suitable to a particular hassock color and style.

It is to be further understood that while only one additional cornering means (steps 24a, 24b) has been described and illustrated, plural steps designed to give greater inclination or a finer adjustment of inclination of top T with respect to the supporting leg structure may be substituted according to the invention. Also it should be noted that while specific supporting leg structure S has been shown, the invention is not limited thereto nor to the particular hinging means employed to incline the top T with respect to said leg structure.

Without further analysis, it will be appreciated that the described and illustrated hassock, when built to proper size for use in association with a chair as a leg recliner for the occupant of said chair, admirably serves as such, in addition to providing a general-utility hassock of attractive appearance which is also characterized by lightness in weight due to the open frame construction of its leg supporting structure or base. The improved leg-rest prop means of the invention is further notable in that its construction is exceedingly simple and it utilizes the minimum of so-called hardware, while at the same time it is thoroughly dependable and foolproof in its operation.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An inclinable-top hassock for use as a leg recliner comprising, in combination, a top supporting structure in cluding spaced side pairs of front and rear legs connected by side rungs joined to the legs at approximately their midpoints, the upper edges of the side rungs and the approximately vertical forward edges of the rear legs of said pairs thereof defining forwardly facing corners, a top normally resting on the upper ends of said legs and being hingedly connected to the front legs of said leg pairs for movement to inclined position with respect to said supporting structure, and prop means for supporting the top in at least one position of inclination comprising a substantially U-shaped prop member depending therefrom and whose cross part is pivotally connected to the under side of the top for swinging movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely across said top and whose side arms depend therefrom and terminate in offset ends operative in the space defined by said upper edges of the side rungs, said legs of the side pairs and the under face of the top, the length of said side arms being substantially greater than the vertical dimension of said space whereby said ofiset ends normally rest on said upper edges of the side rungs and the positioning of the axis being close to the rear edge of said top, the construction and arrangemen-t being such that when the top is in its normal horizontal position the arms of the prop depend downwardlyforwardly and their offset ends rest freely on the upper edges of the side rungs whereas when the top is raised and the prop side arms are manually swung rearwardly to opposite inclination the offset ends of the prop arms move into said corners and hold the prop arms substantially vertical, in which position said wins support the top in said one inclined position.

2. An adjustable-top hassock according to claim 1, wherein the vertical forward edges of said rear legs are provided with additional corner defining means disposed at a higher elevation than that of the aforesaid corners for supporting the top raised in a second position of elevation.

3. An adjustable top hassock according to claim 2, wherein said additional corner-defining means comprisesa step provided in the inner forward edges of the rear legs above the corners defined by said inner edges and the upper edges of the side rungs.

4. An inclinable-top hassock for use as a leg recliner comprising, in combination, a top supporting structure including a rearward pair of substantially vertically disposed legs and a pair of substantially horizontally disposed side runs connected thereto at points spaced a substantial distance below the upper ends of said vertically disposed legs, the relatively forward edges of said legs and the upper edges of said side rungs coacting to form upwardlyforwardly facing corners, a top supported on and being hingedly connected to said supporting structure for swinging movement from a horizontal position in which its rearward edge portion is supported on the upper ends of said vertically disposed legs to an inclined position in which said rearward edge portion of the top is raised from said vertically disposed legs, and prop means pivotally connected to the under face of the top along an axis extending transversely across same and which is disposed but a small distance forwardly of its rearward edge and which includes depending side-rung engaging portions which are spaced from said axis a distance greater than the vertical spacing between the upper ends of said vertically disposed legs and said corners, whereby said prop means is swingable from an inactive position in which said side-rung engaging portions incline forwardly of said corners to an active position in which said portions reverse their inclination and seat in and are held by said corners thereby to support the rear-edge portion of the top raised from said vertically disposed legs.

5. An inclinable-top hassock according to claim 4, wherein the upper ends of said vertically disposed legs are stepped so as to define a second pair of forwardlyfacing corners which are disposed at a higher level than the first-named corners and in which said prop portions may seat, thereby to hold the rear edge portion of the top raised at a greater inclination than when said prop portions engage in the first-named corners.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 54,869 Cronk May 22, 1866 374,175 Davis Dec. 6, 1887 1,141,130 McCrary June 1, 1915 2,869,620 Gleitsman Jan. 20, 1959 

1. AN INCLINABLE-TOP HASSOCK FOR USE AS A LEG RECLINER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A TOP SUPPORTING STRUCTURE INCLUDING SPACED SIDE PAIRS OF FRONT AND REAR LEGS CONNECTED BY SIDE RUNGS JOINED TO THE LEGS AT APPROXIMATELY THEIR MIDPOINTS, THE UPPER EDGES OF THE SIDE RUNGS AND THE APPROXIMATELY VERTICAL FORWARD EDGES OF THE REAR LEGS OF SAID PAIRS THEREOF DEFINING FORWARDLY FACING CORNERS, A TOP NORMALLY RESTING ON THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID LEGS AND BEING HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE FRONT LEGS OF SAID LEG PAIRS FOR MOVEMENT TO INCLINED POSITION WITH RESPERCT TO SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, AND PROP MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE TOP IN AT LEAST ONE POSITION OF INCLINATION COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED PROP MEMBER DEPENDING THEREFROM AND WHOSE CROSS PART IS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE UNDER SIDE OF THE TOP FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS SAID TOP AND WHOSE SIDE ARMS DEPEND THEREFROM AND TERMINATE IN OFFSET ENDS OPERATIVE IN THE SPACE DEFINED BY SAID UPPER EDGES OF THE SIDE RUNGS, SAID LEGS OF THE SIDE PAIRS AND THE UNDER FACE OF THE TOP, THE LENGTH OF SAID SIDE ARMS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE VERTICAL DIMENSION OF SAID SPACE WHEREBY SAID OFFSET ENDS NORMALLY REST ON SAID UPPER EDGES OF THE SIDE RUNGS AND THE POSITIONING OF THE AXIS BEING CLOSE TO THE REAR EDGE OF SAID TOP, THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT WHEN THE TOP IS IN ITS NORMAL HORIZONTAL POSITION THE ARMS OF THE PROP DEPEND DOWNWARDLYFORWARDLY AND THEIR OFFSET ENDS REST FREELY ON THE UPPER EDGES OF THE SIDE RUNGS WHEREAS WHEN THE TOP IS RAISED AND THE PROP SIDE ARMS ARE MANUALLY SWUNG REARWARDLY TO OPPOSITE INCLINATION THE OFFSET ENDS OF THE PROP ARMS MOVE INTO SAID CORNERS AND HOLD THE PROP ARMS SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL, IN WHICH POSITION SAID ARMS SUPPORT THE TOP IN SAID ONE INCLINED POSITION. 